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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25718608">forest fires</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fineosaur/pseuds/fineosaur'>fineosaur</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>count your blessings, my love. [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Forest Sex, Romantic Porn, cause idk how to write anything else, cute date night turned emotional, gendry pov cause i miss my son</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:41:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,151</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25718608</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fineosaur/pseuds/fineosaur</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>During a lunar eclipse, Gendry can't help but think about the woman he loves at his side.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Arya Stark/Gendry Waters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>count your blessings, my love. [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1842127</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>97</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>forest fires</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>fic title from axel flóvent's 'forest fires' ep, deffo give a listen as you read x</p>
<p>photography below by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/chancy51/13855504954/in/pool-themoon/">Mark Chance</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p2">
  
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">The night’s brisk breeze doesn’t unsettle him like it used to. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">It’s still cold though. The wind makes the hair on his arms stand up and he wonders why he hadn’t thought to wear a jumper over his thin cotton t-shirt. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">His eyes are trained to his feet, making sure he doesn’t trip over the winding roots that make up the forest floor. If Arya were nearby, she’d laugh at the noise he makes, fallen leaves crunching noisily under his boots. His existence is nothing close to quiet, he’s not able to, not when he’s a man of his size. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">The path opens up, and he pauses. He’s still but the world around him is nothing but. The trees and their leaves rustle, the wind weaving its fingers through the tresses of their branches. It’s beautiful, wild, and quiet in an exciting way, one which reminds him of her and her alone. She’s exhilarating to him as the nighttime suddenly feels. Filling his lungs in the freshest way he knows. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">The occasional sound of an owl or howls of wolves, make themselves known in the distance but he continues, fisting his hands into the pockets of his jeans. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">It’s a few more minutes of the same trek that’s become instinctive to him over the years. One too many times of the both of them getting lost on the way to or back taught them enough. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">If he looks hard enough he’s sure to find the red cords tied to several trees along the path. He doesn’t need to look anymore though. Because soon enough his eyes find her figure sitting in the clearing, on a blanket.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He doesn’t have to say a word before she’s already noticed his presence. His bulk would be to blame, still agitating the forest floor beneath his feet. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Her head turns to the side and he’s able to make out her side profile, the slope of her long nose, her chin, even the smile that tugs at the corner of her lip. The moon is bright, a full moon whose rosy light kisses every inch of her, much like he wants to. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“You should’ve brought a jacket.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Her words are mocking, but all they do is make it abundantly clear how much she knows him. That and his shearling jacket that she wears over herself, far too big for her frame that she’s drowning in it.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I could say the same to you.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I’ve got mine on,” Arya tugs the jacket closer around herself as he sits down beside her. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Gendry puts his thumb under her chin, tilting her head towards his and leans down to press his lips to hers. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Arya pulls him closer with an arm around his neck. He knows this time when his hair stands up it’s because of her effect on him and the cold is forgotten. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Here.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She pulls away, handing him his jacket, revealing her own denim one underneath it, lined with the same wool that lines his. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“So what are we here for?” Gendry asks, pulling his jacket around himself and letting his eyes wander the sky. Its navy blue canvas dotted with the white of the stars, all that hang amongst the full moon’s heavy glow which is tinged with red. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Can’t you tell?” Arya says, gesturing at the moon with her chin before turning to him once again. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t know, the moon’s redder than usual?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Arya laughs, “There’s an eclipse, Gendry,” she tells him, nudging him with her shoulder. falling into his arms as he pulls on her. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“You’re a romantic now, are you?” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Arya winds her arms around his neck, not bothering to answer his question with words, instead just pulling his lips back to hers. He breathes her in, letting his tongue meet hers. She’s warm and welcoming all over again, he doesn’t know if it’s the nostalgia or the moon’s pull that brings the tide out, making everything feel lethargic and overwhelming. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">They’ve been together for years now. This part of the Wolfswood, a hidden alcove, is just another bead in their string of shared memories. And somehow they continue to make more every day, ones which he never wants to forget. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Gendry pulls her into his lap, letting his hands go into her short hair when her lips left his. He stares at her, awe and adoration consuming him as he pushes her brown locks behind her ears. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Arya’s hand closes over one of his, pulling it down to her jaw before pressing her lips to his wrist. When she leans into him again, he once again forgets where they are and lets his hands fall to her small waist, engulfed by his large hands. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Gendry lets her fingers ruffle his beard as his hands tighten around her, letting out a groan at the way she moves on top of him. His palms slide over the surface of her dress, letting them settle over her rear as their kiss deepens. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“We’re going to miss the eclipse,” Arya pulls away, laughing breathily with her forehead against his. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">In the moment he forgets that’s why he’s met her here for, to what the eclipse and just breathe in one another’s presence, something neither of them seems to ever get sick of. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Menace,” Gendry whispers at her. He reaches out to her again when she gets off his lap, burying his face in the crook of her neck and biting her skin. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He hears her laughter, knowing that his beard tickles her when he does this. Something she doesn’t seem to ever get used to, or maybe she just likes to laugh. Either way, her laughter is like summer rain to him.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Watch the sky first.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Arya seems to see the way he watches her face instead, biting back a smile as she takes his jaw in her hand and turns his head to the view in front of them. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">An hour melts away like nothing. Spent with her lying at his side, her words sifting through his ears as she goes from topic to topic seamlessly. All the while the moon and the sun align and it’s beautiful. He’s sure she doesn’t catch that he stares at her most of the time because the moon is in the grey of her irises and he’s sure nothing could eclipse their shine. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">It doesn’t take long before her eyes go back up to his, where he hovers over her. She looks tired, they’re out far too late for a Tuesday night. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Did you even watch?” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Of course I did. It’s beautiful.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He dips down to her, kissing her with his arm under her head. She reaches out to him again, cupping the back of his neck as she lays beneath him. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Even as his hand goes under her dress, he can’t bring himself to pull away from her lips. Something about where they are, where they haven’t been in a while. Life seems to be passing them by lately. That’s what unsettles him. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Gendry’s lips leave hers and he sees her lips pucker, still looking for his. Arya’s eyes open slowly. Meeting his with the same hazed feeling he feels in his gut, one which presses him on, letting his fingertips dance along the waistband of her knickers before disappearing into them. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Her moan is just as heavy as their surroundings, hushed within the bubble they’ve created there. Arya holds onto the arm that steadies him on top of her, closing her eyes as she tips her head into the ground.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">His middle finger slides into her, coming back out to rub her where his hand is locked in her knickers. This too feels instinctive to him, pleasuring her. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Gendry lets his thumb take his finger’s place, sliding it back into her and working at the same time. Her hand goes up to his shoulder now, holding onto him as he watches her bite her lip. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">His lips go down to hers again, letting his tongue move against hers as his fingers do as well. Her blunt nails drag along his scalp, fingers lost in his hair before she manages to pry them apart once again. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Her eyes are a wonder, full of want, belonging to the woman he loves. She tilts her head again, lips searching for his before she speaks up. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Gendry—“ she says, voice barely a whisper. <em>The forest has drowned them out</em>, he thinks. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He doesn’t even have to ask Arya what it is that she wants. Because he feels it, with the strain of being trapped in his jeans and the way she tightens around his fingers. He would much rather feel her on him as she meets her release. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Gendry manages to pull away from her. She helps him with his belt, letting out intoxicating moans along with laughter as he kisses her neck again, making sure to nip her collarbone that’s exposed by the way her dress moves aside. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He goes to his knees in front of her, pulling her knickers off from under her dress, and with a smile, he tucks it into the back pocket of his jeans. Arya only shakes her head and tries to pull him back towards her. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Her lips are on his again and her head tips back to the blanket they’re on. Gendry feels the fire she leaves in her wake, hands going under his t-shirt and skating up his body. He holds himself up with his forearm by her head, taking time to brush her hair out of her face and kiss her between her dark brows. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He swallows back a groan when he pulls himself out of his jeans, stroking for relief before finding her under her dress again. This time he lets her hear the groan he lets out, meeting her warmth. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Her moan matches his for a moment before he puts his lips over hers. With the unsteady rhythm he still has, he’s not able to kiss her like he wants to. Instead, he settles for resting his forehead against hers. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">His fingers go down between their bodies, her quickening breaths tell him she’s close, and the way her hands grapple at him for purchase. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Pulling away, Gendry’s able to watch the way she arches beneath him, mouth hanging open with his name tumbling out through a moan. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Gendry kisses her again, not bothering to falter with the rhythm he’s found even when her thighs close at his sides. He touches her, going on until she pries his hand off and pulls him down to her lips, even if she’s unable to kiss him properly. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Her grip on his arm loosens as she comes down, pushing her hair back as he stares down at her. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I can’t believe we have to drive separate cars home after this,” Arya interrupts. He can’t help but laugh. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“You’re thinking about that now?” He asks, feeling himself getting closer to his release. He finds it hard to keep his eyes open for her. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I just don’t want to be away from you.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I’m not going anywhere,” Gendry assures her with a strained voice. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">It takes only a few more thrusts until he’s groaning into the crook of her neck, letting the smell of her floral shampoo fill his nose. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Arya holds onto him tightly telling him she’s missed him into his ear. He falls to her side, trying to ignore the hard forest floor on his back, and tucks himself back into his jeans. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“We’ve gotten busy,” Gendry tells her, letting his eyes dart from star to star before settling onto her eyes. “I’ve missed you too.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“If it wasn’t so cold, I’d tell you to promise me we never leave here,” Arya jokes, holding herself tight. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He laughs, lifting his hips to get her knickers out of his back pocket. Gendry hands her the underwear, pulling her into his arms again once she has them back on. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“D’you reckon we could if we stayed like this?” Gendry asks mockingly. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Arya pouts, only pulling him tighter and tucking her legs closer to herself. He feels her breath on his chest and finds himself growing tired. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“We should go before we actually end up staying here,” he says, kissing her forehead. “We can get your car tomorrow morning. Come, let’s go home.” </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Arya didn’t put up any fights to this, not like he knows her to. She’s tired, and so is he. But he doesn’t feel it too much when he’s with her this way. Instead, he’s easily able to dodge the same roots she does, holding onto her hand as he hears her yawn, different to that of the wolves’ howls. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Gendry doesn’t care if they’re too tired to do anything else when they’re back home. He easily falls into bed at her side. With her tucked at his side, warm against his chest, it never feels like they’re doing nothing. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you for reading<br/>lots of love,<br/><a href="https://fineosaur.tumblr.com">fineosaur</a><br/>(come say hi x)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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